The Zenith project is a big project at the end of the year that all seniors do. Each person gets to choose what they want their project to be but it has to relate in some way to your elective class.
For my Zenith project, I created a Sensory Path at Covington Elementary School. A sensory path is a set of movements for children to follow that are shown by marks on the floor or walls. Students burn off extra energy and hone their gross motor skills as they follow the trail and finish the tasks. My path is going to be used by the special needs kids leading them from their classrooms to a sensory room that the school is going to build. But not only is it going to be used by special needs kids, but it will also be used by everyone of all ages. The path goes down the main hallway, starting at the front of the school and leading the kids to the end of the hallway.
Progress
Mood board
I got inspiration from other sensory paths that have been created. I chose a color scheme that is very bright and colorful. I wanted the path to help light up the dull hallways.
Organizing
I used Illustrator to draw up all of my designs. After I drew them, I walked down the hallway and I found a place for each design. While determining the placement of each design, I moved each artboard in Illustrator in the order they will be in the hallway.
Cleaning
After organizing everything, I had to clean all the surfaces that were going to have paint on them. I lucked out because my dad was borrowing a power washer from his friend, so I was able to use that one instead of renting one. The power washing was really satisfying but my back hurt in the end and my shoes were soaked.
Stencils
To make the painting process go smoother, I created stencils. I used a projector to draw out the stencils on the cardstock paper, then cut them out with scissors. I used chalk to trace the designs on the ground and walls. I will say that the stencils were a very good idea and they made painting a lot easier.
Painting
The painting process was really fun. Everyone who came to my workdays had a good time. It was really helpful having so many people show up to help out. I thought that the painting was going to be the longest step but I was very wrong. The painting only took 3 days only because I had to let each layer dry. I ran into no issues actually painting thankfully.
Sealant
To ensure that my path will last a long time I added a sealant on top. For some reason, the sealant I used left all the paint really slippery. I had to find a new sealant and apply it to the paint which worked really well.
Finished Product
Overall, I am super happy with how my path turned out. Everyone at the school is excited for it to be done and says that the students really love it. There is nothing about the process or the finished product that I would change. I am so proud of my project.